My friends at The bluegreen Research Institute, a boutique service provider assisting workforce, economic and community development entities, have forwarded to me a recently completed green jobs study for the Bridgeport area which analysis the current workforce and the opportunities and challenges for developing the regions future workforce as the green economy begins to grow. The report was supported by the City of Bridgeport and United Illuminating Company.

The report points out that by focusing on occupations known to be associated with green industries, participants in training program have a better chance of gaining the skills necessary to work in the major green industries and also established sectors.  As the new economy grows these workers’ skills will also be enhanced to meet the needs of these new jobs.

The bluegreen Research Institute was charged with developing the report and conducting the necessary research and data analysis to aid in an ongoing planning effort to create future jobs for the Bridgeport region which consists of Bridgeport, Trumbull, Easton, Fairfield, Monroe and Stratford, CT. 

The report shows that construction and extraction occupations have the most frequency; followed by architecture & engineering; production; and installation, repair and maintenance occupations. Examples of these occupations include construction laborers and managers; industrial truck and tractor operators; electricians; electrical engineers; plus civil engineering and electrical and electronic engineering technicians.

“Using this methodology, it is possible to help determine what kind of training and education programs should be supported and developed in order to give workers the best chance of finding work,” said Michael J. McCarthy, director of the bluegreen Research Institute and one of the report’s authors.

The industries evaluated in the study were chosen based on sectors identified as emerging green sectors on a national basis, as well as sectors specifically targeted in Connecticut. They include: building retrofitting and weatherization; mass transit/freight rail; smart electric grid/transmission systems; wind power; solar power; advanced bio-fuels; clean water; automotive technology; environmental technology; farming, fishing and landscaping; and fuel cell technology.

The Bridgeport Region Green Jobs Study includes projections of job growth from 2008 through 2018 using the latest information available. Beyond quantifying occupations, it also provides analysis on which occupations have the most incidence of cross-over among green industry sectors; which sectors have the potential for the most occupations to fall within them; a range of average hourly wages; and the level of training or education required for those occupations. Recommendations are also offered for how the region can respond to its needs, using existing resources as well as suggested new initiatives.

A copy of the entire Bridgeport Region Green Jobs Study is available for download as a PDF file at: http://www.workplace.org/docs/BridgeportRegionGreenJobsStudyFINAL.pdf

Filed under: Green Attitudes, Green Education, Green Jobs